Magazine article from 2003 I thought everyone might be interested in -- Saturday Night You Bull Sessions

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Date Posted: 09:22:36 11/06/06 Mon
Author: Patrick
Subject: Magazine article from 2003 I thought everyone might be interested in

MARK O'DONNELL'S TRICKS OF THE (COMEDY) TRADE

WRITING COMEDY PRESENTS A GREAT CHALLENGE TO EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED WRITERS. THIS MONTH, WE DECIDED TO GET COMEDY-WRITING TIPS FROM A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL.

THE MAN
Mark O'Donnell, a known funny man and a respected writing instructor, has written comedy for Saturday Night Live, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and SPY. His latest project was the adaptation of the movie Hairspray for the Broadway stage. In his spare time, he teaches comedy writing at Yale University. This interview is a micro-course in the hard task of making people laugh.

THE INTERVIEW Can you set out to write something funny?
Yes. The key is to have a good time while you're writing it. In Hollywood, a writer who doesn't enjoy what he's doing is called a hack. You can tell when something has been written by a hack because it lacks that sense of glee. The writer has to enjoy it if the actors and the audience are going to enjoy it.

How do you know what's funny?
Almost everybody is funny with their friends, making jokes at the lunch table or whatever. The thing is making the transition from goofing around to putting something down on paper. Once you've got something to show to people, see how they respond. Work with your peers as much as possible, because they understand you best and have had similar experiences. See what they like and what they don't. Most of the time, people will reach consensus on things. Everyone will like the part about the guy falling down the stairs, but not everyone will like the part about the dead bird. After a while, you get an instinct for what people will respond to, and you get better at knowing how to get an idea out of your head and into someone else's.

What common mistakes do people make when they write humor?
Clich�s, profanity, cruelty. You don't want to be tyrannical. You have to play along with your audience rather than berate or alienate them. It's the difference between joking about hating your principal and joking about that terrible bug juice in the cafeteria. Some people might feel bad about making fun of the principal, but they won't feel bad about the bug juice. Try to find material that people can feel unified about. You also have to bear in mind the consequences of a joke. If you make fun of the way another student walks or talks, you could hurt them, but if you make fun of someone on TV, that's fair because they've put themselves in line for it.

What are three key things to think about when you start to write comedy?
First, what's the premise? Is this a piece about a guy who's trying to date girls but is a total idiot, or is it about a dog who's running for president?
Next, walk through the scenario. Imagine the situation as fully as you can and ask yourself, What happens next? Maybe the dog proposes to get rid of all the cats. Enter into the situation like your life or a dream and entertain the possibilities. Look around and see what's going on.
A woman once handed me a story in which the main character was an actress on the set of a movie and she was having a nervous breakdown. But when I asked her what the movie was, she didn't know. If she were really concentrating on that woman, that's something she would know.

3. Bring it to a climax. Maybe the guy finally finds a girl to go on a date with him. Maybe the dog loses the election to a "dark horse." (Of course!)

How can you revise something to make it funny?
For a professional, it's all about rehearsal and revision. Nothing is going to be perfect right away. The piece has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It also has to develop. You can't just repeat the same joke, you have to expand it and move forward. If something isn't working, ask yourself, What else can I do? Entertain all the possibilities of a given moment or situation. Trust the input of others, but trust yourself as well.

Are some words funnier than others?
Well, they say that words with k's in them--pickle, kugel, chuckle--are funny 'cause they're clumsy. Yiddish and slang were really popular during vaudeville. In the 1930's, all you had to do to get a laugh out of the audience was say, "Aw nuts!" That wouldn't work today, of course, but slang is still funny because it's a departure from decorum. Comedy is by nature informal, so it thrives on slang and on saying the thing that no one dares to say.

What's the most important thing for beginning I writers to do?
The first rule for writers is to pay attention. Every writer must be interested in the world, must observe things and learn, because there's no comedy without knowledge. Too many young writers start shooting off their mouths without n having looked around.

Imitate the stuff you love. If there's a TV show or a comedian you like, write scripts for them. When was a kid, I was crazy about MAD magazine and I wrote my own imaginary copy of it. Write what you know, especially when you're young. All the weird characters in your life--like that crazy cousin-make for good material. And it doesn't have to be true if it's a convincing character. Phyllis Diller used to joke all the time about her husband, Fang, even though he didn't exist.

What comedy writers do you admire?
I think Dr. Seuss was one of the funniest writers that ever lived. I also like Steve Martin, Bruce McCall, S.J. Perelman, and Lewis Carroll. When I'm looking for examples for my students, I invariably come back to Monty Python (everybody loves it, but that doesn't mean it's not great) and to the old Warner Brother's cartoons. Bugs Bunny made some great quips. And The Simpsons. That show has been called one of the funniest pieces of contemporary satire.

ASSIGNMENT FROM O'DONNELL
Pick one of the following exercises to try on your own, and use the guidelines discussed in Writer's Craft. Choose whatever will be the most fun for you to write. When you're done, trade pieces with a classmate and see if you get any laughs.

* Write a personal or want-ad like you might find in a newspaper.
* Draw up the table of contents for an imaginary publication.
* Spoof the evening news.
* Create a short parody of your favorite movie, comic book, or novel.
* Use unexpected rhymes to make up funny limericks, or outrageous images in kooky halku.
* Write one side of a phone conversation, or if you feel up to the challenge, write an entire dialogue.
* Try a piece of observational humor, i.e., have you ever noticed how hard it is to open those little bags of peanuts on airplanes?

~~~~~~~~

By Sarah Montante

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